BRUSSELS, Belgium, October 17, 2026 — Belgian police have searched several properties in Brussels and surrounding areas as part of a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining sector, in a case involving individuals said to be close to President Félix Tshisekedi.

The searches were conducted on Wednesday, October 14, following a judicial investigation initiated after complaints filed by Congolese civil society organisations in July 2025, according to international media reports.

Reuters reported that the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed searches at several addresses in Brussels and its northern and southern suburbs. However, prosecutors declined to identify the individuals targeted, citing the ongoing investigation.

Lawyers representing the complainants said the operation involved relatives and associates of Tshisekedi, although the prosecutor’s office did not independently confirm their identities.

The case centres on allegations that mining revenues and resources belonging to the Congolese state and local communities were improperly diverted, with proceeds allegedly laundered through financial arrangements involving individuals with Belgian nationality.

The complaint was filed by organisations from the southern Katanga region, known collectively as DESC/RDC, and is represented by Belgian lawyer Bernard Maingain and Congolese lawyer Hervé Diakese.

According to the lawyers, the alleged misconduct involves mining activities in Haut-Katanga and Lualaba, two provinces in southeastern Congo that are important sources of copper, cobalt and other valuable minerals.

Diakese said the complaint concerns the alleged appropriation of mining resources and laundering of proceeds at the expense of the Congolese state and local communities. He also alleged that the funds enabled those involved to maintain lifestyles beyond what their legitimate earnings could support.

The complainants reportedly pursued the case in Belgium because several of the individuals named in the complaint hold Belgian citizenship and reside in the country.

The Congolese presidency declined to comment on the latest developments, according to Reuters.

The investigation brings renewed attention to accountability in the management of Congo’s mineral wealth, which plays a major role in global supply chains for electric vehicle batteries, electronics and other industrial products.

Despite its vast natural resources, Congo has faced persistent concerns over transparency, revenue collection and the distribution of mining benefits. The allegations in the Belgian case raise questions about how mining contracts and related revenues are managed, although the claims have yet to be established in court.

Social media posts have also circulated claims that Tshisekedi personally stole $1 billion and that his own Belgian residences were raided. These claims have not been substantiated by the publicly reported findings of the investigation.

For now, Belgian authorities have confirmed the searches and the money-laundering inquiry but have not publicly identified those targeted or announced charges arising from the operation.

The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against individuals connected to the case should not be treated as proven criminal conduct.